L'anglais d'haines de Chirac

[InsaneApache]

Jacque gets his knickers in a twist.

PRESIDENT CHIRAC stormed out of the first session of a European Union summit dominated by a row over French nationalism because a fellow Frenchman insisted on speaking English.

rejoindre

Quel est son problème ?

When M Seillière, who is an English-educated steel baron, started a presentation to all 25 EU leaders, President Chirac interrupted to ask why he was speaking in English. M Seillière explained: “I’m going to speak in English because that is the language of business.”

Without saying another word, President Chirac, who lived in the US as a student and speaks fluent English, walked out, followed by his Foreign, Finance and Europe ministers, leaving the 24 other European leaders stunned.

Peut-être il devrait prendre une pillule et un froid

The guy did have a point about English being the language of business.

EDIT: apologies to my French brethren for using a translator, but I havn't had a French lesson in 30 years

Just seen this bit.

At one UN summit where there was no translation, President Chirac pretended not to understand questions in English and demanded that Tony Blair, who speaks French, act as his interpreter.

Hahaha class.

[Tribesman]

Now that is a damn funny story

[Kanamori]

At one UN summit where there was no translation, President Chirac pretended not to understand questions in English and demanded that Tony Blair, who speaks French, act as his interpreter.

How could someone not respect that man?

[Vladimir]

So tell me, why does anyone take the French seriously anymore? They have a lousy military, a weak economy, they're a pain in the arse just to be a pain in the arse. Time for them to be brushed aside.

[Tribesman]

So tell me, why does anyone take the French seriously anymore?
Well , they got nukes , you have to take nukes seriously
They have a lousy military, a weak economy, they're a pain in the arse just to be a pain in the arse.
Military , hows it going in Iraq ?
Economy , hows the defecit growing lately ?
Pain in the arse , hmmm... you are with us or against us , and even if you are with us it doesn't matter as we are going to do our own thing anyway .
So is France that different from other countries , apart from being French ?

How could someone not respect that man?
I wonder if he asked Tony in English ? I wouldn't put it past him

[Kanamori]

I can see a certain Frenchman gloating already.

[InsaneApache]

How could someone not respect that man?
I wonder if he asked Tony in English ? I wouldn't put it past him

No, neither would I. He's a card isn't he? It reminds me of that post in the video thread "Do you Speak English?"

Anyway, someone who tweaks our 'beloved leaders' tail is OK with me. I think I shall celebrate my warmth towards France tonight by cracking open a bottle of St. Emilion Ch. De la Nauve and drinking it.

[Vladimir]

So tell me, why does anyone take the French seriously anymore?
Well , they got nukes , you have to take nukes seriously
They have a lousy military, a weak economy, they're a pain in the arse just to be a pain in the arse.
Military , hows it going in Iraq ?
Economy , hows the defecit growing lately ?
Pain in the arse , hmmm... you are with us or against us , and even if you are with us it doesn't matter as we are going to do our own thing anyway .
So is France that different from other countries , apart from being French ?

:

Ok, so we take France as seriously as Pakistan or North Korea. How's the oil for food investigation going? It's one thing to support a dictator when he's fighting against a sworn enemy (Iran), it's quite another to conduct illegal business with him when he's not.

Deficit, that's all you have? How's our unemployment? How's our growth? How's our GDP? What's our federal revenue? Compare these to what you find in France and Germany, the "powerhouses" of the EU and see what you get.

[BDC]

Chirac makes me laugh. Should have been around 200 years ago though, France is spent now.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Je dois dire que j'ai été profondément choqué de voir un Français s'exprimer à la table du Conseil en anglais.

La France a un grand respect pour sa langue, c'est l'intérêt de la culture, du dialogue des cultures. On ne va pas fonder le monde de demain sur une seule langue - donc une seule culture.

[Kanamori]

Je dois dire que j'ai été profondément choqué de voir un Français s'exprimer à la table du Conseil en anglais.

La France a un grand respect pour sa langue, c'est l'intérêt de la culture, du dialogue des cultures. On ne va pas fonder le monde de demain sur une seule langue - donc une seule culture.

There, there.

[InsaneApache]

You make a valid point there Louis.

[Duke Malcolm]

It would be even more valid if it was in the Language of Eden, but no-one speaks that except for 30,000 folks on an island or two up north...

I was quite surprised at how much of Louis's point I could understand..
On a holiday in Paris, an attendant at the Musee d'Orsay (sp) started speaking French at me. Using my knowledge of Standard Grade French, I gleaned that she was telling me off for putting rubbish on the pedestal of a statue and sitting on her chair. So I said "Je regrette, mais je ne comprende pas le francais" and that is all the French any sane gentleman ever need know.

[BigTex]

Je dois dire que j'ai été profondément choqué de voir un Français s'exprimer à la table du Conseil en anglais.

La France a un grand respect pour sa langue, c'est l'intérêt de la culture, du dialogue des cultures. On ne va pas fonder le monde de demain sur une seule langue - donc une seule culture.

Pfft why show respect for the french language. They don't show respect for others.

Seriously why doesn't the EU save itself the migrane and just boot france out? Storming out becuase your own countrymen decides to speak the language a majority of the people there speak, come on. What was the name of that Frenchmen who spoke in english? I think he deserves respect for using some sense and speaking in a more well understood language instead of french. Why hate the person for trying to communicate?

Originally posted by [ B]Tribesman[/B]
Well , they got nukes , you have to take nukes seriously

Sure they have nukes, but their worthless to them. They have to few and their surounded by nuclear powers also. It would be self destructive to use. So no you don't always have to take nukes seriously. France is dead, they are no longer a world power. I think their president needs to recognize that. They lost to many of their holdings in asia, and no matter how much foriegn blood is shed they wont get it back.

[doc_bean]

Je dois dire que j'ai été profondément choqué de voir un Français s'exprimer à la table du Conseil en anglais.

La France a un grand respect pour sa langue, c'est l'intérêt de la culture, du dialogue des cultures. On ne va pas fonder le monde de demain sur une seule langue - donc une seule culture.

Sure, that respect is also part of the reason the French speaking part of belgium is so backward at times. recently a politician cam under investigation for signing a certain contract (I don't remember the details, it was about francorchamps I think), his response "It was in English so i didn't read it"

[Tribesman]

How's the oil for food investigation going? It's one thing to support a dictator when he's fighting against a sworn enemy (Iran), it's quite another to conduct illegal business with him when he's not.

Oh Vlad , you just get better and better , to follow the previous examples you now come up with another one where your country is just as bad or even worse than France Or was that a real genuine question and you don't actually know about the oil for food scandal ?

[Kralizec]

When President Chirac had a one-to-one dinner last year with President Bush, he insisted on speaking his mother tongue the whole time, even though the US President could understand him only through an interpreter.

What an ass. This guy is expected to represent France in international politics? Time for a coup d'etat, I say.

[Agraes]

Well, seeing our ex-prime minister, Mr Rafarrin saying "The yes need the no to win against the no" in a conference about the European constitution, our president may no longer want to speak english

Hey guys, please stop flaming France, it's really easy... but I think it's can be even easier to flame US. Bush didn't put a foot outside of his country before he was elected... and there are soooo many scandals with american international policy, supporting dictatorships in southern america for example...

France: Boooo you are badddd!!! And fat!!!

USA: You are weak!!!! Weak weak weak!!! Chicken!! Chicken!!

[InsaneApache]

I agree. This is a fun thread poking fun at both the English and the French. If you want flames, either join the fire brigade or become an arsonist.

Back OT.

You have to admire his cajones. I love French as a language, one of the easiest on the ear as an Englishman. After all an awful lot of English has French based words. It would only diminish the planet if everyone spoke English as a first tongue.

[Marcellus]

Embarrassed French diplomats tried to explain away the walk-out, saying that their ministers all needed a toilet break at the same time.

Heh, that's brilliant.

It's no wonder so many people dislike Chirac when he acts like this.

[Tribesman]

Embarrassed French diplomats tried to explain away the walk-out, saying that their ministers all needed a toilet break at the same time.
How is that possible?
I thought they had already urinated all over the other delegates

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well they tried, but forgot to lower their pants.

Crazed Rabbit

[GoreBag]

Je dois dire que j'ai été profondément choqué de voir un Français s'exprimer à la table du Conseil en anglais.

La France a un grand respect pour sa langue, c'est l'intérêt de la culture, du dialogue des cultures. On ne va pas fonder le monde de demain sur une seule langue - donc une seule culture.

Je le trouve drôle que to veux que les cultures restent différent quand il y en a tellement d'unification forcée ou artificielle dans la France même.

En tout cas, Chirac est un diplomate, n'est-ce pas? Il devrait s'exprimer en plusieurs langues.

[Brenus]

“En tout cas, Chirac est un diplomate, n'est-ce pas? Il devrait s'exprimer en plusieurs langues.” No, he isn’t. He never was. He is the President of the French Republic. Seliere wanted just to show off and, well, he got his answer…

“This guy is expected to represent France in international politics?” Yes, and French is one of the official languages, with Spanish and some others. Is this sentence means that people who don’t speak English are not important? By the way, to pretend not to understand another language is a good trick of diplomats to prepare your answer when the translator does his job… It gives you time…

[GiantMonkeyMan]

man, the French are so cool... they don't give a damn about anyone else and in someways i think that is why the English tend to dislike them because everything has to good, proper and English but in a way i think everyone wants to act like the French (just a little)... do you remember that whole 'if you bomb us we will nuke you' thing Chirac said about terrorists? i mean what a legend

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Military , hows it going in Iraq ?

A bit better than the Ivory Coast or Algeria went.

[Incongruous]

LOL

[Brenus]

A bit better than the Ivory Coast or Algeria went.
You means like Vietnam, Korea or Somalia? Or, perhaps Iran?

[Red Peasant]

Gotta love 'em.
Head of State of a supposedly first rate power acts like a 5 year old, on a bad day.
That chip on France's shoulder must be one mother of burden. How silly.
I'm sure that most French people must cringe at their leader's infantile behaviour.
The Queen is our Head of State and although I disagree with the need for a monarchy I know that she has more class than to act like this. In fact, she has conversed to Msr Chirac in French, in England, at state dinners (Frenchmen have no manners when talking to women). I may not agree with the monarchy but she is far classier than this Chirac creature. Manners maketh the man, and he has none.

[Scurvy]

i think this is terrible, next time i go on holiday to france french people might actually try to speak to me in french